DUDHWA NATIONAL PARK WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1958 AS A WILDLIFE SANCTUARY FOR SWAMP DEER. IT WAS NOTIFIED AS A NATIONAL PARK IN JANUARY 1977. IN 1987, DUDHWA NATIONAL PARK TOGETHER WITH KISHANPUR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY AND KATARNIAGHAT WILDLIFE SANCTUARY WAS DECLARED A TIGER RESERVE NAMED DUDHWA TIGER RESERVE. DUDHWA NATIONAL PARK IS IN THE TERAI BELT OF MARSHY GRASSLANDS IN NORTHERN UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA. IT STRETCHES OVER AN AREA OF490.3 KM2 WITH A BUFFER ZONE OF 190 KM2. IT IS PART OF THE DUDHWA TIGER RESERVE IN THE KHERI AND LAKHIMPUR DISTRICTS. THE AREA OF THE PARK FALLS WITHIN THE UPPER GANGETIC PLAINS AND IS A VAST ALLUVIAL PLAIN RANGING IN ALTITUDE FROM 490 FT IN THE FARTHEST SOUTHEAST TO 597 FT IN THE EXTREME NORTH. THE PARK IS HOME TO ONE OF THE FINEST FORESTS IN INDIA, SOME OF THESE TREES ARE MORE THAN 150 YEARS OLD AND OVER 70 FT TALL.
DUDHWA NATIONAL PARK IS FAMOUS FOR THE TIGERS AND SWAMP DEER. SOME RARE SPECIES INHABIT THE PARK. HISPID HARE, EARLIER THOUGHT TO HAVE BECOME EXTINCT, WAS REDISCOVERED HERE IN 1984. IN MARCH 1984 INDIAN RHINOCEROS WAS REINTRODUCED INTO DUDHWA FROM POBITORA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY IN ASSAM AND NEPAL. THE OTHER ANIMALS TO BE SEEN HERE INCLUDE SWAMP DEER, SAMBAR DEER, BARKING DEER, SPOTTED DEER, HOG DEER, SLOTH BEAR, HONEY-BADGER, JACKAL, VIVERRINAE, JUNGLE CAT, FISHING CAT AND LEOPARD CAT.
DUDHWA NATIONAL PARK IS A STRONGHOLD OF THE BARASINGHA. AROUND HALF OF THE WORLD'S BARASINGHAS ARE PRESENT IN DUDHWA NATIONAL PARK. SMALLER THAN THE SAMBAR DEER, THE BARASINGHAS HAVE 12 ANTLERS THAT COLLECTIVELY MEASURE UP TO 100 CM. ONE CAN SPOT HERD OF THESE RARE ANIMALS PASSING THROUGH OPEN GRASSLANDS. THESE ANIMALS ARE SMALLER THAN SAMBAR DEER AND WEIGH AROUND 180 KG. DUE TO THEIR SLIGHTLY WOOLLY, DARK BROWN TO PALE YELLOW CLOAK, THE GRASSLANDS ACTS AS THE PERFECT CAMOUFLAGE.
DUDHWA NATIONAL PARK HAS A RICH BIRD LIFE, THE MARSHLANDS ARE HABITAT FOR ABOUT 400 SPECIES OF RESIDENT AND MIGRATORY BIRDS INCLUDING THE SWAMP FRANCOLIN, GREAT SLATY WOODPECKER, BENGAL FLORICAN, PAINTED STORK, SARUS CRANE, SEVERAL OWL SPECIES, ASIAN BARBETS, WOODPECKER AND MINIVETS. MUCH OF THE PARK’S AVIAN FAUNA IS AQUATIC IN NATURE AND FOUND AROUND DUDHWA’S LAKES SUCH AS BANKE TAL. THE WHITE-RUMPED VULTURE AND RED-HEADED VULTURE, BOTH CRITICALLY ENDANGERED VULTURE SPECIES HAVE BEEN SIGHTED IN THE PARK.
ATTRACTIONS
SAFARI INSIDE THE DUDHWA NATIONAL PARK IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST SINCE THE ROUGH TERRAINS, AND THE APPREHENSION OF WHAT YOU MIGHT SPOT NEXT WILL SURELY GIVE YOU AN ADRENALINE RUSH. SIGHTING DIFFERENT WILD ANIMALS AND BIRDS OF INDIA IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT IS AN ULTIMATE JOY. BARASINGHAS, THE MOST SIGNATURE ELEMENT OF THE PARK, CAN BE SEEN AROUND IN ABUNDANCE, SPOTTING THE ROYAL BENGAL TIGER CAN BE A LITTLE TRICKY. YOU MAY HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE BEST WEATHER CONDITIONS AND TIME OF DAY FOR SPOTTING THESE MAJESTIC CREATURES.
MOST INTERESTING AND THRILLING ACTIVITY FOR KIDS AND ADULTS ALIKE IS ELEPHANT RIDES INSIDE THE PARK ARE A GREAT WAY TO ENJOY THE PICTURESQUE VIEWS OF THE EXPANSIVE GRASSLANDS, RIVERS, MARSHES, AND OTHER BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES INSIDE THE PARK.
BIRDING IS AN ANOTHER GEM ACTIVITY AS IT IS A HOME TO NINE SPECIES OF ENDANGERED BIRDS IN INDIA. THESE INCLUDE THE BLACK CRESTED BAZA, GREAT INDIAN AND INDIAN PIED HORNBILLS, LAGGAR FALCON, SHAHEEN FALCON, RED HEADED MERLIN, OSPREY, PEAFOWL, AND THE BENGAL FLORICAN. THE PARK IS DREAMED DESTINATION FOR BIRDER AND WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHERS.
